There's Magic in the Air
by sunsprite16
Summary: The day that Coco gets an Alebrije has finally arrived! However, the fun doesn't last long. Ernesto de la Cruz and a familiar someone have gotten their hands on magic which means trouble for the Rivera family.
1. Hello Rosebud

An excited Miguel was running and in Dante's case flying across one of the beautiful, glowing marigold bridges.

Miguel had just received a letter from Hector saying that Coco was getting an Alebrije today. The letter alone made Miguel grin with delight.

All the skeletons that Miguel and Dante passed happily waved at them. Miguel waved back as he continued running to meet up with his family.

* * *

Hector, Imelda, Coco, and the rest of the Rivera family were patiently waiting in front of the Marigold Grand Central Station.

Imelda was petting Pepita on the head when she noticed Miguel and Dante in the distance. She shouted happily,"Miguel! Over here!"

Hector couldn't help but smile. He loved to see his wife so happy again.

Once Miguel and Dante joined up with Imelda and the rest of the Riveras, Hector said as he gave his great great grandson a big hug,"Miguel! You're just in time!"

Rosita's face full of happiness turned into one of concern. "I wonder why Coco's Alebrije hasn't shown up yet."

Suddenly the earth shook with every sound of heavy footsteps. Julio said nervously,"You don't think..."

Julio's sentence was cut short by the mighty sound of an elephant. In a state of panic, Julio grabbed a hold of Coco who lovingly put her arm around her husband.

Coco then stood up in awe at the sight of a bright, pink elephant Alebrije with eyes that shined like jewels.

Imelda said to her daughter,"Oh, Coco... She's beautiful."

Coco smiled at Imelda and replied warmly,"Thank you mama."

Before long the elephant had stopped in her tracks and gazed at Coco with eyes full of curiosity.

Coco slowly approached the pink Alebrije. Once Coco reached the elephant, she gave the spirit guide a hug. She then said with a smile,"I'll call you Rosebud."

Rosebud felt so overjoyed that she did several jumps in the air. Rosebud then grabbed Coco with her trunk and spun her around in the air which made Coco laugh.

Hector was touched by the beautiful moment. But, something came up in his head suddenly. "Hold up. Who's going to teach Coco how to raise Rosebud."

Imelda was about to speak up when a familiar voice said,"I will!"

All the Riveras including Rosebud directed their attention to a spotlight that soon shined on Frida and her monkey Alebrije Banooza.

Imelda could only stare at Frida in disbelief. Meanwhile Oscar told his twin brother and Rosita who only nodded,"Frida sure knows how to make an entrance."

Frida walked towards Rosebud and said with a grand smile,"She's magnificent! Awe-inspiring!" She turned her attention to Coco. "You must let me teach you how to raise her!"

Imelda couldn't hold her anger in anymore. She pushed Miguel and Hector out of the way and exclaimed,"Just because you are famous, doesn't mean you have the right to be my daughter's mentor!"

Frida frowned. "You think you'd make a better teacher?"

Imelda shouted,"I am her mother for pete's sake!"

Frida replied in a calm manner,"I know but a real mentor would have taught her Alebrije to perform feats beyond imagination already. For example, my little Banooza can breathe fire!"

Coco was hypnotized by Banooza's dancing flames.

Imelda left eye started to twitch slightly. "That is not how a relationship between an Alebrije and its owner is supposed to be! You can't force your spirit guide to do ridiculous things like that!"

Frida crossed her arms in disapproval,"You're just jealous."

Miguel's stomach began to churn. He's never seen this side of Frida before.

Coco suddenly spoke up. "Mama... I believe you've raised Pepita very well. Would you be my teacher?"

Imelda smiled softly. "Of course."

Frida said to herself angrily,"I will show Coco that I'm the better teacher around here."

With that Frida stormed off with Banooza following close behind.


	2. Rescuing Coco

In their home's backyard, Imelda and Coco were seated on a mat eating sandwiches while Pepita and Rosebud danced together nearby.

Imelda chuckled at the spirit guides having fun. She then said with a smile,"Alright, I think it's time to get our first lesson rolling."

Imelda stood up proudly and told her daughter,"Now the first thing to do that is highly recommended is to create a unique whistle. Like this."

Imelda whistled for Pepita who immediately came up to Imelda and started licking her face. Coco began to laugh. In life, the sound of Coco's laughter made Imelda's heart melt. To this day, it still did.

Imelda laughed as well and said as she patted Pepita's nose,"Settle down Pepita." She soon turned her attention to Coco again. "And always remember to love and care for your Alebrije. They guide you during tough times after all."

All of a sudden, Banooza came into view, doing a handstand on a skateboard and juggling balls with his feet. Imelda lips curved into a frown. "Don't tell me..."

Frida said with exaggerated passion,"Coco! I was looking for you everywhere!"

Coco was flabbergasted. "You were?"

The beloved celebrity said as she gave Coco a hug,"Yes! I'm holding a lively feast for you! Come, let us eat and be merry!"

Imelda was angry but felt herself feeling dumbfounded as well. She ultimately said to Frida,"Wait... I thought you wanted my daughter so Rosebud could perform "feats beyond imagination"."

Coco looked at Imelda then back at Frida.

Frida chuckled nervously and said,"I know Imelda but..."

Frida looked down on her feet that were magically revealing larger, white shoes. Frida hollered as she grabbed Coco by the wrist,"Bye!"

And just like that, "Frida" dragged Coco through the busy streets of the Land of the Dead. Imelda gritted her teeth and ran to save her daughter from Ernesto de la Cruz disguised as Frida. As Imelda ran, her heart beat twice with every second.

 _I should've known Ernesto would return seeking revenge..._ Imelda thought, feeling so dumb with herself. _But how was he able to transform into Frida? Where was the real Frida? Was she OK?_

Imelda snapped back to reality at the sounds of Pepita and Rosebud who were right behind her!

The matriarch of the Rivera family shouted,"Rosebud! Pepita! Help Miguel and the rest of the family find the source of the magic that Ernesto used to turn into Frida and hurry!"

Pepita and Rosebud nodded at each other and went the other way.

Filled with determination, worry, and anger, Imelda followed Ernesto and Coco deep into the night.

* * *

Miguel and the Rivera family were snacking on tamales while laughing and talking amongst each other.

Suddenly Pepita came barging in the Rivera household. Felipe shouted in disbelief,"No! I just had that doorway fixed!"

Hector said as he tried to calm Pepita down,"Easy, girl! Easy..."

Pepita managed to settle down but was still breathing heavily.

Miguel said, uneasiness pulsing through his entire body,"Something's wrong. I think Pepita saw something."

Pepita nodded and nudged her head several times towards her back.

Rosita gasped. "Pepita only lets Imelda ride on her back!"

Hector then said,"Then this must be an emergency. Miguel, you and Pepita go on ahead. We'll catch up."

Victoria asked rather bluntly,"Catch up to where exactly?"

Pepita growled softly. Miguel could somehow understand what Pepita was saying. Miguel found himself saying out loud,"Department of Family Reunions..."

Everyone shouted,"Huh?"

* * *

Imelda was still in hot pursuit to catch Ernesto and rescue her daughter. Coco shouted desperately,"Mama! Use the shoe!"

Imelda put on a sly grin, took off her boot, and threw it like a boomerang. The boot successfully made Ernesto trip and fall to the ground with a great, big thump.

Coco then immediately went over to her mother to give her a hug. Imelda said in relief,"Coco... I'm so glad you're safe."

As the mother and daughter hugged, two cops came and took Ernesto away. But before he was out of sight, Ernesto shouted to Imelda and Coco,"You think you won that easily?! No! Maria and her magic will take care of you..."

Ernesto was suddenly thrown into a police truck.

Imelda and Coco asked each other,"Maria?"

All of a sudden, Rosebud came running towards them making nearby skeletons dodge her in surprise. Rosebud then grabbed Coco and Imelda with her trunk and gently placed them on her back. Coco told her mama,"Rosebud wants to take us somewhere. I can feel it."

Imelda was hesitant to agree but nevertheless said,"Take us wherever we need to be Rosebud."

And just like that, Rosebud ran fast. Really fast.


	3. One Mad, Mad Clerk

Inside the Department of Family Reunions, the clerk who previously helped Imelda was hard at work on her computer when her phone rang. She picked it and asked politely,"Hello?"

The skeleton on the other end replied,"The Rivera family is here to see you."

The clerk's face dropped drastically. Ever since Imelda Rivera attacked her computer, she's been constantly praying that she would never have to deal with that woman again.

But she still had a reputation to maintain. The reputation of being the friendliest clerk in the Land of the Dead. The clerk took a deep breath. As soon as she did, the Rivera family entered the room.

Victoria said out loud,"I don't think we'll find any magic using lunatics in here..."

The clerk nervously cleared her throat and asked with a big smile,"Welcome back, Rivera family! How may I help you?"

Imelda looked at the clerk with remorse. She was about to apologize to the clerk for her previous attitude when she noticed her name-tag that read MARIA. She gasped.

Maria suddenly threw magic dust on the Rivera family. They all turned to stone except for Miguel and Imelda who could only stare at Maria. Maria quickly grabbed her elixir to find that it was empty. She growled in frustration, threw her desk out of the way, and exclaimed as she ran towards Miguel and Imelda,"You imbeciles won't win this fight!"

Imelda grabbed Miguel by the wrist and ran as fast as they possibly could towards the exit. As they ran down the stairs, Maria shouted,"Those ruffians stole my driver's license!"

Miguel told Imelda,"I would've never suspected that clerk was a magic wielding crazy person."

Imelda shouted, never taking her gaze off of the Marigold Grand Central Station's front foor,"Less talking, more running!"

Miguel looked the other way in embarrassment. Imelda bit her lip and said in the softest voice she could manage,"Sorry mijo. But if we are going to save our family, we've got to find more magic!"

To Imelda and Miguel's horror, three cops were guarding the exit.

Imelda would call for Pepita but she didn't want to draw attention to the cops. As if Lady Luck was by their side, Pepita and Duarte came crashing through the ceiling. Filled with adrenaline and determination, Imelda and Miguel took a leap of faith. They successfully got on Pepita's back. As Imelda rubbed Pepita's head, Miguel felt worried about Hector and the others but at the sane time he felt excitement that he was on an epic adventure with Mama Imelda. But he definitely felt more worry.

As Miguel, Imelda, Pepita, and Dante escaped, Maria groaned loudly in frustration, grabbed a frightened cop's shirt, and said coldly,"Find Miguel Rivera and his sorry excuse for a great great gramdmother or you'll answer to me."

The cop nodded nervously.


	4. Magic is Awesome

Pepita and Dante landed in a rocky landscape. Miguel and Imelda climbed down Pepita, confused. Once their feet touched the ground, it gave in. Both Miguel and Imelda fell hundreds of feet down into the ground.

...

Miguel slowly got up on his feet. He looked to his left and then to his right. Nothing but pitch black darkness. Miguel started to cry. There was no way he could save his family now. Hector... Coco... all of them turned to stone. Forever...

"What am I going to do?" Miguel thought in grief.

As Miguel wept, large, blue diamonds started glowing one by one. Miguel eventually looked up and was in complete awe.

Once all the diamonds were visible, Miguel could see Imelda getting up on her feet.

Miguel shouted happily,"Mama Imelda! You're OK!"

The echoes of Miguel's voice rung all around the room. Imelda immediately gave her great great grandson a loving hug and said,"Miguel."

Miguel said,"I know its hard to process but that clerk has raw power. How are we going to stop her?"

Imelda tried to come up with a plan.

Pepita took us here for a reason... Imelda thought as she scanned the room.

All of a sudden, Dante came tumbling down the hole from above. Miguel said as he embraced Dante,"Dante... can sniff out some magic."

Imelda smiled. "We're counting on you Dante."

Dante's tail began to wag at the positive attention he was receiving. He then began to sniff the floor. He walked a few steps forward. That's when he barked in delight. Without warning, Dante ran into a dark tunnel.

Miguel shouted,"Dante, wait!"

Miguel and Imelda ran to catch up with Dante. Despite the darkness, they kept on running. As they ran, they could hear Dante, telling them to hurry.

Soon enough, Miguel and Imelda were in a room full of elixirs.

Miguel rubbed Dante's belly. "Good boy Dante!"

Imelda slowly took an elixir and said,"Miguel... magic can be extremely dangerous. If we want to save Hector and the rest of our family, we have to use it correctly."

Miguel was about to nod when he noticed Dante starting to drink an elixir. Suddenly with a magic poof, Dante transformed into a young Coco. Imelda was on the verge of fainting.

"Coco" said boldly,"Let's get out of here!"

"Coco" unexpectedly sprouted wings, grabbed Miguel and Imelda, and plummeted back up to the surface.

Miguel shouted through the harsh winds,"Magic isn't dangerous! It's awesome!"

Imelda rolled her eyes but found herself gazing fondly at "Coco".

Miguel shouted in pure excitement,"Woo-hoo!"

"Coco" soared through the skies only to bump into a swarm of Alebrijas. The collision made "Coco" accidentally drop Miguel and Imelda.

Maria, who was seated on a dragon Alebrije, said with a menacing grin,"I have you now..."

Maria was about to kidnap Imelda when Pepita kicked Maria and her Alebrija. Maria screamed as she fell towards her demise.

A satisfied Pepita rescued Imelda while "Coco" got Miguel in the nick of time.

* * *

Inside the Department of Family Reunions, yellow caution duck tape was wrapped all around the Rivera family. Cops were writing down on documents when Pepita and "Coco" smashed through the wall.

One of the cops shouted to the other cops,"Wait! Wait! It's Miguel and Imelda Rivera!"

Wasting no time, Imelda threw magic dust at her family. They immediately turned back to normal. Hector hollered as he embraced Miguel and Imelda,"You did it! You really did it!"

Imelda told her husband,"I don't know how but the important thing is that you're OK."

Coco looked up to see Dante in the form of her younger self. Coco was utterly shocked. Dante chuckled nervously then quickly flew to the nearby restroom.

Pepita licked Imelda's face. Imelda laughed. She then went to one of the cops and said,"I think it's best if no one knew about this. We don't want anymore magic wielding crazy people."

The cop nodded.

Imelda winked at Miguel who winked back.


End file.
